#nobleburn

[dcviated]

@nobleburn continued from here.

The witch isn't granted much time to query or wonder what kind of effect she had on the other that she had invited into her secret little hideaway. No sooner was her own question about the other's well being out of her lips does the risen lunge forward. Throat gripped, and gaze fierce. In equal parts she feels surprise and fear from the motion. Not to mention how she was lifted off the ground.

"Hey-!! Gh-- hh?!" For a zombie, Nikolette was definitely strong even aside from the magic she seemed to possess that even still the witch could sense running through their veins, see it starting to rise to the surface as it eked through veins. She has demanding questions for her, and Elijah is beginning to realize that this cast away woman may have a bit more importance than some kind of forgotten test subject, like herself.

At the back of the witch's mind is their own question: Did I mess up by helping them? Was this a mistake?

Whether way that answer fell as it tumbled through her mind she knew she had to resist this. Moments and stimulus like this would bring them out of her mind if she didn't keep herself in check. This measure of panic would make the wall in her mind weak.

She acts quickly to free herself. Bringing up her hands a small sigil appears in between her palms after a grit mumble through rasped breath. The small explosion of force knocks the two apart and allows Elijah to catch her senses and breath alike. She grips her throat, a look of frustration cast towards Nikolette. A wariness in case she tried to do something again.

"I can't... tell you anything when you're holding onto me like that! G-geez." A gulp of spit to flush her system after a couch. The girl sighs. "I'm trying to remember! It's not like I'm being obtuse or secretive! Were you involved with them or something?? Anyway... the one who died. It wasn't the one with the engagement, the younger brother. Really young. Everyone was very sad about it. That's all I know, really! Once we get into town, we can ask around and find out more if you really need to. But if you come at them like you did me, though, you know we're going to have trouble, right??"

That would be frustrating. Elijah travelled frequently. Moving her pocket spaces with her as she went which took time and effort. Not to mention all the things that couldn't make the trip safely. Like. Food. Which was always a problem. If Nikolette caused trouble that'd mean Elijah would have to pack up again. Witches weren't always the best received thanks to dirty rumors and stereotypes. The brunette is cute, but she can only dispel so much with those looks.

[madefate]

❛ if you’ve got a problem with the way i handle things, just say so. ❜ (nikolette for marianne) / @nobleburn

❝ O - oh, no, I - ❞

Truth be told, Marianne hadn't even entertained the possibility that Nikolette would notice her; she had been content to tend to Dorte, remaining as invisible as she could, even when the relative quiet of the stables was partially broken by the other's entrance. Marianne had only glanced up for a moment, driven by sheer instinct - and then she'd paused.

Perhaps it is simply a quieter and more foolish curse that she will always be at least a little mesmerized by the sight of someone tending to their horse.

Her fingers had stilled against Dorte's nose, the faintest smile at her lips, feeling a moment of peace amidst the maelstrom of life at the monastery - the maelstrom of every moment of her life poised on the precipice of disaster. Still, she's not surprised when Nikolette assumes the worst of her --- had she given off some terrible aura yet again ? Marianne presses herself against Dorte's side as she fumbles for the words - and then, when they fail her, her bag.

It takes a moment to extract an extra apple from its depths, and another to gather the courage and offer it out. ❝ I only thought, that I had ... extras ... if your horse would - like one ... please forgive my assumption. ❞

[lunawish]

within her arms contain a stack of tomes and textbooks the future emperor's decided to peruse. hubert have protested, insisted on carrying the ones in his lady's arms and yet, she protested and commanded him to scour for others. edelgard's professor assigned their house a peculiar assignment, one that requires her to utilize her tactical thinking abilities and only those abilities.

amethyst eyes flicker towards @nobleburn's direction. the silverhaired maiden offers a polite smile. edelgard is to become adrestia's heir, she must know the art of diplomacy, the talents of a cunning tongue well.

" i see you are also a diligent one, nikolette. "

[wxtchpilot]

hello you are now on the receiving end of the Unexpected Bryn Positivity Hour

I actually don't know what to call you so we should fix that, but nevertheless! Oh my gosh, your passion and love for Suletta shines through with absolutely everything you do, whether that's headcanon posts or replies or just light musings about things. As a fellow Suletta Mercury-adorer, I'm so glad to see her written by someone so interested in exploring her story and doing her justice.

You're also so much fun to talk to and write with! It's honestly a blast just chilling and talking about the Old Days Of Anime hahaha, but also plotting out interaction ideas and looking forward to future threads. I'm so glad that you've accepted Niko so warmly, and I'm having a truly wonderful time with everything. I honestly don't know when the last time I had an AU go so well and so smoothly, and so much of that is down to how easy you are to talk to, and how wonderful all your replies are. Thank you for everything!

[ I NEVER DID POINT OUT WHAT PEOPLE CAN CALL ME, that's my bad!

Can call me Kia. ^^

But seriously, thank you so much for this! We haven't known each other long but I agree, you're such a fun person to talk to and I love hearing your ideas about Nikolette, she's such an interesting and fun character. I can tell you put a lot of love and thought behind her too and that's always so fun to see people do. Makes me want to learn about her in all your verses honestly haha. Something about her is so captivating that it has me so curious and interested to learn as much as possible. ^^

I'm really glad you're having fun too, I am too. Despite my nerves about writing Suletta, you've been so understanding and patient with me. Wish I could properly express my appreciation for that since its so hard to do in text.

I look forward to having more interactions between Nikolette and Suletta, and us talking too! Whether it be about random non-roleplay stuff or discussing things about roleplays/our characters.

I've been having a blast and once again, glad to hear that you are too. Thank you for everything as well. ♥ ]

[pathofemblems]

BLOODBORNE STARTERS // ✶ · ⊰ @nobleburn ⊱ · sent (for louis)... ❛ i have no time for your petty lies. ❜

❝ Have I offended somehow? ❞ Louis asked, aiming the end of his lance toward the ground. Realizing their exercise was done with that comment, he set his weapon aside, primarily to appear more apologetic and open. ❝ If so, then please accept my sincerest apologies, though I do feel the need to insist that I simply cannot bring myself to lie, no matter how trivial or ❛ petty ❜ it may seem. ❞ More often than not, time within the training grounds was spent with the likes of his prince or his fellow Firenese retainers. They knew how to round each other out, how to emphasize each other's strengths and weaknesses before the next skirmish, how to give and take guidance. Yet as the war continued, Louis' ❛ training circle ❜ expanded more and more, now granted the ability to study different countries fighting styles and techniques up close and personal. The Elusian retainer, albeit still new to him, was a welcome addition to his circle. If at all possible, Louis wanted to be on good standing with everyone in this makeshift army, guided by the Divine Dragon. Regardless of their dynamic, Nikolette was treated with the same respect and familiarity as all the rest… and that absolutely included giving advice when they trained. ❝ However, it has been brought to my attention by several of our fellow allies that I perhaps have a less than ideal delivery… ❞ Brows gently knit together in mild concern, rubbing at his chin while attention shifted to the ground as he thought back to some of the more combative complaints about his commentary and people-watching habits. It didn't seem wrong here though! All he'd done was comment on Nikolette's footwork, that it wasn't quite right; he was worried, after all, that she might get hurt in their next battle. He'd made sure to compliment her weaponry skills right after, and he'd meant it! ❝ If that be the case here, you have my word that I will adjust my tone accordingly, lest you decide it'd be best to simply converse as less as possible. ❞

[multiipl]

*; @nobleburn​ » starter call ❤

Under normal circumstances, he would not approach anyone first. However, it was His Highnesses wish for him to pass Nikolette a message. ─── ❝ Nikolette. I hope I am not disturbing you. His Highness wished for me to deliver a message to you. ❞

[galeforged]

hello you are now on the receiving end of the Unexpected Bryn Positivity Hour

Zeph! I feel like we have been mutuals for literally forever, and it's been such a treat to watch everything develop, from filling out and developing additional background lore about Forwin and his family/upbringing, new verses, and eventually your multi-muse with so many new and exciting characters, canon and OC alike. I still need to sit down and send you some things from my other blog eventually haha.

I've always been impressed by how much work you've put into Forwin. He's really that rare kind of OC who fits so seamlessly into the world, and even makes the base worldbuilding and lore better by being a part of it. It's to the point where I feel like some of the things in the games themselves are missed opportunities just because they lack the level of thought and detail that you've put into crafting his story, like "this would be better or more interesting if Forwin and his lore were canon." It's so incredibly clear just by looking at your pages how much thought and effort has gone into him, and I feel like he adds so much to the world. Thank you for everything!

{ ooc } BRYN I’M SPEECHLESS AND TOUCHED-

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS TOWARDS MYSELF AND BOYO... I know there’s a lot to digest when it comes to my lad mentioned here and my other characters, but to read that THIS is how you feel towards him and my writing means so freaking much, I can’t stress that enough-

LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY IN TURN THAT NIKOLETTE VON BRANDT IS AS MUCH IF NOT MORE OF A DELIGHT AND SHE SHOULD RECEIVE ALL THE ATTENTION TOO-

[cinderellatype-a]

Plots Please!

MONASTERY ASSIGNED KEEPER. when the blue lions receive a new face in the soft voiced darkflyer, nikolette is asked by the leader of the class and the professor to help andromeda acclimate to the unique . . . personalities of the blue lions, and keep the unsettling secret of andromeda bearing two crests, especially the fact that they bare the major crest of the holy kingdom’s royal family.

BRAVADO AND FOOLISHNESS ARE SYNONYMS. in nikolette’s travels, she comes across the familiar face, the heir to a minor fontainian noble house- who had withdrawn from the public nearly 4 years ago under rather interesting and suspicious circumstances.

IRON THORNS OF THE GLASS ROSE. a spinoff of above- as an attempt to win her way into her father’s good graces, nikolette is sent to inazuma after the sakoku decree is removed, to meet with the largest improter/exporter company of the land of eternity, and face to face with the young lady of the family, who has also returned to her mother’s homeland to facilitate the meetings on behalf of their maternal aunt and uncle.

plots please! @nobleburn

[bonescribes]

@nobleburn ( sc. ) //

" hey ... you sound like you have money . " that is , she speaks with even a moderate amount of eloquence . fleki's standards for making this assumption aren't especially high . " wanna lend me some ? "

[timelessharp]

"See?" Althea gestured wearily at the mealy pear in her other hand, a chunk missing from where she'd bitten and spat it out, small worms visible burrowed into the core. "The gods hate me."

jaheira shouldn't laugh -- she shouldn't, really, but the sound that leaves her is not one of concern but is the low rumble of a chuckle. around them, shadows swirl and the world crumbles into the wrath of something ancient and evil.

the pear is well past its date and she plucks it from althea's grasp with a flick of her wrist to look at it.

" nonsense, girl. it is not directed solely at you -- this land has been unkind to all, including the fruit trees. a shame. a good pear is hard to find on the sword coast. "

castlevania sentences.

[wxtchpilot]

The fact that Nikolette seemed to be contemplating about being friends with Miorine was a step in the right direction, one that both her and Miorine would consider as something good. After all, who wouldn't want more friends? If being at the 'top' was lonely, wouldn't that meant they'd want trustworthy friends? So far, Suletta hasn't seen anything meanspirited about Nikolette.

Honestly, her and Miorine communicated in the same ways when trying to help people, or her in particular. However, when she brought up that Miorine doesn't like her company, Suletta frowned. Was this the first time she'd heard Nikolette sound almost...sad?

"What? I-I'm sure Ms. Miorine doesn't feel that way!" Of course Miorine was rather quick to tell Suletta to stay away from anyone that were in the main houses and to not trust anyone, but if they got to know them better, they could see how nice they were deep down.

She managed to do it with Miorine herself, after all. And maybe on the verge of replicating it with Nikolette.

"Ms. Miorine may be closed off, but she's very nice and trustworthy once she opens up. M-Maybe you and her just need to talk some more? O-Or I could set up something for you!"

Though, like Nikolette said, would that be forcing herself into her personal space? Did Suletta ever do that with Miorine? She did allow her inside the greenhouse though...

"Eh? M-Me??" Being suddenly entrusted to ensure her safety also isn't what she expected to hear from Nikolette but there were no doubts about that.

"O-O-Of course! I would do that without hesitation! I will make sure to d-do my best! Besides..." She glanced to the side. "...I have to repay her for what she did for me to even make this company in the first place..."

And even before that. There were a lot of things Miorine did that showed her kindness, Suletta just needed time to make up for it.

That Miorine had few friends came as little surprise to Nikolette. It was lonely at the top, when one had more resources and privileges than most, for it meant that the intentions of others weren't always clear. A hand offered in friendship could just as easily intend to use the other as a rung upon the social ladder. Of course, it was a shame to always need such suspicions, but Nikolette understood why it was necessary. To surround oneself in opportunistic people was a rather poor place to be in. "It's only natural," she mused. "The more important one's position, the more selective that one's social circle must become and-"

Suletta's suggestion that Nikolette could be her friend caught the blonde girl off-guard, a surprised expression on her face mixing with a crimson blush blooming upon her cheeks. "Miorine and I?" Nikolette seemed embarrassed at the mere suggestion. "W-well..." She crossed her arms over her chest, shrugging her shoulders as if that would solve things. "It's true that Miorine and I have a number of things in common," she conceded. "We're both bright, ambitious, talented, beautiful young women set to inherit companies from our fathers."

Such similarities were enough to either give Nikolette a friendship, or some sort of business rival, but it was a fool's errand to place Miorine in either such box. "But, regardless of that," she murmured, voice growing soft in comparison to her typically brash tone, "I don't think Miorine enjoys my company very much." That was... unpleasant, to admit, and Nikolette wasn't exactly sure either why Miorine seemed to dislike her, or why exactly it stung. Perhaps because Miorine was her social equal, one of the few people Nikolette had no interest in looking down upon, such that losing that opportunity for connection felt worse for its rarity?

"That being the case, I have no intention of forcing my presence upon her." If there had once been an opportunity for the two of them to be closer, it was Nikolette's opinion that the opportunity had passed, and things were better if they continued as they were. "And that's also why you, Suletta Mercury, need to ensure her safety and well-being!" Surely that was something that Nikolette could have done, if allowed, but as it wasn't, and as Miorine was so generally closed-off and independent, then it fell to the person she'd inexplicably allowed in to handle such things.

[dcviated]

@nobleburn has to believe they can fly

Reaching the city of Selphia must be a welcome reprieve for Nikolette von Brandt. Norad is a sprawling country largely rural in civilization outside the trading centers and ports. Most of the towns are rural and thriving off of trade. Towering mountains break up the beautiful sprawling plains. Crystal blue rivers sweep across the landscape like strokes off a painter's brush. There's a better sense of civilization here. And with it some of the aristocratic sensibilities that the hero considers minimum.

Two nights had been spent in the luxurious abode of the de Sainte-Coquille estate. Five course meals were generously offered by the lord of the house, and one could tell that this was normal for him as well. A stark contrast to his daughter who was petite even by normal standards. Needless to say, not everyone needed nor could indulge in the full extent of the meals offered.

The ladies were in good company, at least.

The beds were less of a fuss, not to mention a cloud compared to what they had before. Layers of sheets on pillowy cushions to make up for the previous nights in camp or in creaky inns. A full night of rest is nice, but not even necessary, as the next leg of the trip would be the last. From here the caravan could shift their mode of transport into the sky. Had to, rather. As the capital of Norad, where Eira lived and reported for duty, had been built on a suspended chunk of earth high above the ground.

"I imagine if we ask Rosalind we can take a bottle of reserve with us. We'll have plenty to drink in the Capital of course, but when it comes to wine the surface I've found has much better to offer... but! Up to you of course, I saw you eyeing the bottle."

Eira is content to engage in small talk and contemplation, but it's not hard to take notice that Nikolette is perhaps not as enthused as the party approaches the skydocks at the edge of town. Had all the exuberance and indulgence of the previous nights gone to waste? The cliffside is imposing enough when perceived through the gaps of buildings, but it's quite the large ship- the cabin suspended in the air by a balloon the size of a mansion.

"You're not sick, are you?" She stops to ask, concern evident on her features though scrutiny peeks through in those ice blue eyes of hers. A touch of the hand to the other's forehead, then a hum. "You did eat those imported hors d'oeuvres."

[madefate]

That a commoner had asked her for help was surprising, and that Nikolette was considering it even more so. Still, the so-called Mystical Songstress of the Mittelfrank Opera Company was a special case. "Well," Nikolette said after a moment of thought, before gesturing back at her room. "Why don't you stay here? For a short while, at least." (For Dorothea!) / @nobleburn

❝ Really, thanks so much Nikolette. You'd think at a monastery this size, there'd be somewhere quiet to find some respite. ❞ Dorothea smiles gently, eyes bright but unassuming -- it's almost like creating some sort of recipe or formula: two parts grateful, one part genuine, a dash of cunning pride. She would not have gotten where she is in life without learning how to start dissecting others with nothing more than a glance and a few words. Find what makes them tick, and then you take the power gently and decisively from their hands.

If it's a little disappointing to encounter the same necessary measures at Garreg Mach that she did on the streets of Enbarr, she hasn't yet processed that and likely never will.

Instead, she sweeps into Nikolette's room, taking just a second to note its set up, the few personal items, any books or equipment or weapons. It is quiet here, though, and Dorothea sighs just a little with relief. Her throat is aching and there's a headache pounding in her temples and even though her livelihood doesn't depend on her voice anymore, the anxiety of sickness is something that might always live in her. So it's nice to find a little respite from Ferdinand at her door and Caspar's latest louder-than-life training regiment and poor Bernie's Hubert-induced panic attack.

❝ Did you get a chance to review this week's lesson yet, by the way ? If you'd prefer to keep to ourselves I don't mind, but I'm going to brush up on the last chapter if you want to join. ❞

[wxtchpilot]

nobleburn:

Nikolette rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Try to keep up, Suletta Mercury. They mean like this," she murmured, before adopting an intense expression, leaning into Suletta, and slamming her open palm into the wall beside her head.

"...?"

Suletta wasn't expecting Nikolette to explain the meaning, well in terms of actually showing it. So once she was initially confused by the sudden gap between them diminishing and her hand slapping against the wall fairly loud against her ear, Suletta got the picture.

Kind of.

"Wh-Wh-Wh-What...!? Ms. Nikolette, this...this is...i-indecent!" Is this really what that word meant?

[maligns]

@nobleburn , for nikollette .

"ah, nikollette." ivy startles out of reverie, ripping her distant gaze from the wintery landscape. these days, she has too much on her mind: her father's missives & the heavy burden of his expectation -- the emblem rings, small shackles on her fingers. in consequent, sleep is elusive, slipping from her grasp even as the late night begins it's lazy transition into daybreak. she smiles wanly, "i apologise, i lost track of time. it must have been jarring to find me absent from my bedchambers. did father send you?"

[lacunasbalustrade]

HOW DO YOU BEST LIKE TO BE LOVED

Tagged by @nobleburn

laugh with me long and loving

jokes are simple and easy to comprehend, and laughter helps with all that tension in your belly. you just want a break from the other stuff, and if someone makes you laugh, then that means that they care, in some way, about your happiness. especially, if, after making you laugh the once, they try and do it again. if laughter is the greatest medicine, then you can share it and no one has to be sick. it is contagious, and free to give and receive. there is never too much of it. there is never too much of you. i hope when you laugh you speak it from your belly. that you use your muscles and let it fill the room. that you know the sound rings like a bell and is lovely. i hope that when you smile you show your teeth.

tagging @melting-morning-blues @thehistorynut19 and @sakuraki99